Cumbrian Masons | Cumberland and Westmorland Puzzles page

THREE WISE MASONS

Three (very clever and logical) Masons were taken captive by a tribe of Cannibals. The Elder had heard of the wisdom of the Masons and was willing to let them go if one of them could beat his challenge.

The Elder took them into a cave where there was no light. He had two blue feathers and two red feathers. In the dark, he selected a feather at random and in turn secured one to the head of each Mason (so one feather were not used).

He then took them outside in single file where they formed a queue, so that each Mason saw the feather(s) of those standing in front of himself:

The first Mason one did not see any feathers.

The second Mason saw the first Mason's feather.

The third Mason saw the feathers of the two Masons.

The Elder told them what he'd done in the cave and gave them till sunset (without talking to each other) for one of the Masons identify the correct colour of the feather on his head.

After a short while one of these Masons said the correct colour of his feather and they were set free.

What colour was his feather, where was he in the queue and how would you reason it?

Do you want to know the ANSWER?